30% more carpet diverted from landfill in 2012

In total, 85,000 tonnes of carpet was recycled, reused or sent for energy recovery in 2012, representing a diversion rate of 21.4%. This represents a 30% increase on 2011, when 16.5% of carpet was diverted from landfill (see letsrecycle.com story).

CRUK is an industry body working to increase carpet recycling rates in the UK. Its members include organisations from all areas of the carpet supply chain including material suppliers, distributors, retailers and recyclers.

Of the 85,000 tonnes diverted, more than half (49,000 tonnes) was sent for energy recovery via cement kilns and power generation plants. Energy recovery grew by 44% in 2012 as the high calorific value of carpet became more widely recognised and exploited, according to CRUK.

Meanwhile 36,000 tonnes of carpet was recycled of reused an increase of 4,000 tonnes of the amount recycled in 2011. CRUK said this was a result of new outlets becoming available.

2012 also saw record levels of carpet production offcuts diverted from landfill, with over 6,000 tonnes sent for reuse, recycling and energy recovery.

Encouraging

CRUK director Laurance Bird said these achievements are testament to sustained efforts across the entire supply chain in capturing rising waste tonnages, plus entrepreneurial commitment to developing new outlets and markets for all types of carpet waste.

He said: New recycling opportunities continuing to emerge as growing awareness is matched by practical endeavour, so its a positive story.

It was encouraging to see new machinery investment along with growth in the use of fibres from carpets for equestrian surfaces and felts, such as underlay, he added. While an estimated 78.6% of end-of-life carpet still ends up in landfill, our goals for 2013 will continue to drive higher carpet recycling rates through a number of initiatives, including local authority encouragement on segregation.

Targets

Looking forward, CRUK has set a landfill diversion target of 25% by 2015. However, there are interim targets and the organisation is hoping the UK will be able to achieve a 23.5% landfill diversion rate for carpet in 2013.

Other goals for this year include:

• Increasing reuse, recycling and energy recovery outlets, thus improving choice, collection and transport logistics across the UK;
• Recruiting manufacturers, distributors, retail and flooring contractor members to help support collection infrastructure growth and in turn improve recyclate value; and,
• Increasing awareness of carpet recycling opportunities and recycler initiatives across the value chain, including waste management and local authority decision-makers.

Councils will also be an important focus for CRUK in 2013, after its research showed the benefits of separating the material for recycling at household waste and recycling centres (see letsrecycle.com story).

Trials are also underway to help capture the estimated 12,000 to 15,000 tonnes per annum of carpet offcuts being landfilled. The pilots will evaluate the logistical challenges of collecting fitting offcuts from the domestic and commercial sectors through retailers, flooring contractors and distributors.